Pumpkin Apple French Toast Bake

I'm eagerly ushering in the fall season this year. For one, we've had a brutally hot summer here in Texas... and while the date on the calendar doesn't necessarily dictate the temperature, it does give me permission to bust out pumpkin puree, warm spices and my fat pants. Plus, that means we're that much closer to the holiday season right?!

Let's just get this out of the way up front... I'm a sucker for pumpkin spice anything, and I'm not apologizing. Muffins, lattes, oatmeal, cookies, and of course, the OG inspiration for it all... the pumpkin pie. That said, if you walk into my pantry pretty much any time between the months of September and December you will absolutely find cans of pumpkin puree on the shelf. Come Saturday morning, I whisk it into pancake and waffle mix on the reg. It also makes a beautiful addition to a classic french toast batter. Enter: Pumpkin Apple French Toast Bake.

I like to build this casserole in layers... first comes the layer of sweet, buttery bread cubes soaked in a pumpkin spice custard. Then I scatter over finely diced apples - pumpkin isn't the only star of the show this time of year! And to give us a real reason to celebrate over the weekend, I top the french toast bake with a healthy layer of finely chopped pecans and brown sugar.

Spoiler alert! Let me tell ya how this all goes down. First, as I'm sure you can imagine, the french toast puffs and takes on a beautifully orange hue. The apples remain crisp but juicy. And the brown sugar and nut caramelize creating this utterly devine, sweet, crispy topping. All making for the perfectly balanced, texturally wonderful forkful!

And the best news yet... you can make this the night before for easy baking the morning of! You're welcome.

Welcome back, Fall!

Pumpkin Apple French Toast Bake

Ingredients

For the French Toast

· 4 cups cubed, day old bread (Challah, croissants, French bread)

· 6 eggs

· 1 cup half & half

· 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree

· 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

· Pinch of salt

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· ½ tsp almond extract

For the Apple Topping

· 2 apples, peeled and diced

· ¾ cup brown sugar

· ¾ cup finely chopped pecans

· Pinch of salt

· ¼ cup butter, chilled and diced

Preheat oven to 350F.

For the French Toast…Grease a 2.5qt baking dish. Scatter the bread over the bottom of the dish..

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, pumpkin, spices, salt, and extracts. Pour the custard over the bread. Using your fingers, gently press the bread cubes into an even layer to ensure all bread is moistened. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes or overnight.

For the Topping…Scatter the diced apples over the top of the soaked bread. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, salt, and butter. Stir to ensure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the nut-sugar mixture. Spoon the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until the center is puffed and the top is deep golden brown and bubbling. If desired, serve with maple syrup.

Serves 4-6

GF Friendly

Gluten Free Friendly!

Swap the bread for your favorite gluten free bread. I’d recommend a Scharr Baguette or Canyon Bakehouse Hawaiian Sweet Bread – both are sturdy, yet airy which will yield a fluffy GF French Toast Bake while other bread might be more dense or mushy.